David Horsager ’95, GS’05, was the 2013 commencement speaker for Bethel University’s College of Arts & Sciences.

David Horsager '95, GS'05 has published a national bestseller and traveled the world as a business strategist and keynote speaker. He was Bethel’s 2013 College of Arts & Sciences commencement speaker, and in March he was back on campus to present a lunch seminar, which focused on trust-building principles, for business and church leaders.

“When Dave was a student, one of his most remarkable qualities was his ability to bring the best out of people. I'm not sure if he makes people excel, if he makes people want to excel, or a combination of both,” says Sam Helgerson, program director for the M.A. in Strategic Leadership program at the Graduate School. “He does the same thing in his work with The Trust Edge. The Work with Purpose initiative is a powerful reminder that our day-to-day lives matter deeply to God. Dave not only has something significant to say about that, he embodies those values. He is authentic. He is trustworthy.”

“Trust is not a soft skill,” says Horsager, who outlined practical, measurable ways that trust can impact an organization’s bottom line financially. “A lack of trust is the biggest cost you’re going to have in life…trust is also the biggest asset you’re going to have.”

Horsager has seen this impact first-hand as a business owner and strategist, and even in his graduate research. “Dave made it clear that his years here as a student have shaped his life in profound ways; that's the kind of transformation that can happen in a Christ-centered educational environment,” says Helgerson. “He is one of many nationally prominent alums who continue to give back, who strive to strengthen the Bethel community.”

"Horsager reminded those gathered that all work matters to God. The key, for Horsager, is to serve where you are called, whether that is in business, in pastoral service, or somewhere else,” says Justin Irving, professor of ministry leadership and initiative director for Work with Purpose. “Trust is vital across the vocational spectrum.”

The event was part of a series of lunch seminars sponsored by Bethel Seminary’s Work with Purpose initiative, which is funded by the Kern Family Foundation and focuses on the intersection between faith and everyday work. By offering resources and opportunities for strategic dialog among church leaders, Christian businesspeople, and Bethel faculty, students and staff, Work with Purpose seeks to spur exploration of the implications Christian faith can have on work.

“Work with Purpose is focused on empowering pastors and churches to embrace a vision of whole-life stewardship—seeing that all of life, including our work, matters to God,” says Irving. “Horsager reinforced the importance of this vision when he engaged our community on the priority of trust as we live out our diverse vocational callings."

David Horsager, MA, CSP, is a business strategist, speaker, and author of The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line. Get free resources and more at www.DavidHorsager.com or www.TheTrustEdge.com.